Aube-Kubel’s production came almost entirely at even strength. Without the benefit of regular power play time (no power play goals, two power play assists), Aube-Kubel still ranked third on the team offensively. He was among the top even-strength producers across the entire American Hockey League this season.

Secondly, the Phantoms are a team that spread the wealth offensively between three forward lines – with the combinations changing frequently – as well as from the defense. Even Phil Varone, the AHL’s Most Valuable Player award winner this season was a shade below a point-per-game this season. 

In the playoffs, Aube-Kubel has learned that the intensity and pace pick up even further from the regular season. Due to a suspension in the second round, he has only dressed in nine of the Phantoms 12 playoff games to date. He’s still looking for his first point of the postseason and of his two-season AHL career. 

With the Phantoms facing potential elimination in the Eastern Conference Final against the Toronto Marlies, a big Game 4 from the likes of Aube-Kubel, Varone or Oskar Lindblom, among others, would go a long way toward ensuring a Game 5 with a return trip to Toronto and a continuation of the series at stake. 

Aube-Kubel started the season on a regular line with rookie center Mike Vecchione and pint-sized sniper Danick Martel. As the season progressed, however, Aube-Kubel saw a wide variety of different linemates and played in a wider array of game situations than he did for the vast majority of his rookie year.

Finally, in terms of year-to-year improvement, Aube-Kubel’s all-around game took a huge leap in his second season. While there were flashes of solid play as a rookie in the latter part of the 2016-17 season, Aube-Kubel struggled not only with consistency but also with the much more structured nature of the pro game compared to what he was used to in junior hockey. 

“I know it’s kind of night-and-day in terms of the numbers, but I think I made progress last year and I’ve kept building on it this season,” Aube-Kubel said on April 28 of scoring just nine goals and 18 points as a rookie before doubling his goal output and more than doubling his overall point production this season.

“This year, I’ve gotten a bigger role on the team. I think I’ve played with more confidence and I understand what my role is. We’ve got a lot of good players here, veteran guys and young guys, and that has definitely helped me, too.“

Phantoms head coach Scott Gordon said that he saw gradual improvement from Aube-Kubel as a rookie but that his rate of development accelerated in year two, which is why he was entrusted with a bigger role.

“If you asked me at the start of the year, I’d have said that if he improves about as much as he did from last year to the beginning of this one, it would be a pretty good second year for him. But he’s surpassed that. With a lot of young players who were big scorers in junior hockey, it takes time to figure out how you have to play to be successful as a pro – where you have to go, being harder on the puck, when you can make a play and when you should just live to fight the next battle, the physical side, the mental side in finding an identity as to what you need to do to. There’s a whole lot involved. He had some tough adjustments last year, and this year, the light went on for him and he gets it. He’s become a lot harder to play against,” Gordon said.

In September 2017, Flyers general manager Ron Hextall correctly predicted an uptick in Aube-Kubel’s play in his second season.  

“Nic didn’t understand the American League last year. It’s a much higher level than junior hockey. I would expect Nic this year to take off. I really do. Nic’s a good prospect. Nic’s got good speed. He’s got hockey sense, he’s got size. He’s thick, strong on the puck. He’s got scoring touch. This kid’s got lots of ability. No one talks about him,” Hextall said.

At 5-foot-11, Aube-Kubel is far from the tallest player on the ice most nights. However, he has always been above-average in the speed department and he is deceptively strong. Nowadays, he carries 204 muscular pounds on his frame. He wins more physical battles than he loses.

Unfortunately, when he drew mainstream attention outside of Allentown this season, it was mostly for the wrong reasons. Aube-Kubel has served three suspensions from the American Hockey League this season – twice in March, and then for Games 3-5 of the Phantoms’ second-round playoff series against the Charlotte Checkers – for what the league deemed to be illegal checks to the head of opposing players. 

While there has always been a physical element and hints of edginess to Aube-Kubel’s game, he had never previously been known as a dirty player nor did he have a supplementary discipline rap sheet before the recent incidents. In junior hockey and the AHL, he has never had had more than the 86 penalty minutes he incurred during the 2017-18 regular season. His high in the Quebec League was 81 PIM in 2014-15.

For his part, Aube-Kubel said there was no intent to injure on any of the plays.